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Home Β» Side dishes

Tomato Chutney- Bengali style

Published: Apr 12, 2022 by Vandana Chauhan. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Bengali-style tomato chutney is a sweet and savory chutney full of flavors. Traditionally, it's known as tomato khejur (date) chutney. No Bengali feast is complete without this simple chutney. It's very easy to make and gets ready in just 20 minutes.

Bengali tomato chutney in a white bowl

When I was a kid, we had a lot of Bengali neighbors, and my best friend - Manali was a Bengali too.

Her father was my father’s colleague and they got posted together to the same station, thrice – Dhanbad, Sri Lanka, and Shimla. So, we got the opportunity to stay together for 6-7 years.

As we were best friends, we ate at each other's house quite frequently. That’s how I developed the taste for Bengali food and it's still one of my favorite cuisines.

The recipe which I am sharing today-Bengali style sweet tomato chutney is a side dish that Manali's mother used to make on almost every occasion. Most Bengalis do that.

Sadly, we lost Manali in an accident a few years back. Though she is gone now, the beautiful memories of the time we spent together and the taste of food we relished at each other’s home, will always stay fresh in my mind.

Jump to:
  • What goes in Bengali tomato chutney?
  • Ingredient notes
  • How to make (step by step instructions)?
  • How to serve?
  • Storing tips
  • Recipe tips and tricks
  • Frequently asked question
  • More easy chutney recipes
  • More easy tomato recipes
  • Recipe

What goes in Bengali tomato chutney?

To make Bengali style sweet tomato chutney, you will need the ingredients shown below:

Ingredients for Bengali sweet tomato chutney labelled.

Ingredient notes

  • Tomatoes: Use a juicy red variety of tomatoes in this recipe.
  • Raisins: Black or golden, both are fine.
  • Indian five-spice blend (panch phoran): Panch phoran is a mix of five whole spices and it gives a very distinct taste to any dish it's added to. You can easily find it in any Indian grocery store or online. However, if you can't find it, mix fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, and black mustard seeds in equal quantities.
  • Mustard oil: Traditionally Bengali chutney is made with mustard oil and it's a key ingredient of this dish. Mustard oil has a very strong flavor and you won't get it from any other cooking oil.

How to make (step by step instructions)?

steps of making bengali tomato chutney

Step 1: Heat oil in a cooking pot. Add dried chilies and panch phoran. Saute until the spices turn fragrant.

Step 2: Add turmeric powder and red chili powder.

Step 3: Saute for a few seconds.

Step 4: Add grated ginger and saute for around 30 seconds.

collage of steps 5 to 8 of Bengali tomato chutney.

Step 5: Add chopped tomatoes and salt. Mix.

Step 6: Cover the pot and cook on a medium flame for 4-5 minutes or until the tomatoes turn mushy.

Step 7: Add chopped dates, raisins, and sugar.

Step 8: Mix and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Your delicious Bengali sweet tomato chutney is ready to be enjoyed!

Bengali sweet tomato date chutney with black raisins in a white bowl

How to serve?

This chutney can be served cold or warm with any Indian meal as a side dish.

Bengalis also serve tomato khejur chutney with Khichari during Saraswati puja.

You can also spread it on toast or serve it with poori or paratha (Indian flatbread)

Storing tips

To store, keep in an airtight jar and refrigerate for up to a week.

Recipe tips and tricks

  1. Use a juicy red variety of tomatoes to make this chutney.
  2. If you don't have panch phoran, mix fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, and black mustard seeds in equal quantity and use that.
  3. To add heat to this chutney, add chili flakes.
  4. Don't overcook ginger otherwise, it will turn bitter.
  5. Add sugar carefully as the dates and raisins will also add sweetness to the chutney.
  6. The amount of sugar you add will also depend upon the sweetness of the tomatoes you are using.
  7. If using mustard oil, heat it till it reaches the smoking point and then switch off the stove. Allow it to reach back the room temperature and then start making the dish.

Frequently asked question

Can it be made with canned tomatoes?

No, to make this tomato chutney, you will need fresh tomatoes.

Is this chutney spicy?

No, it's a sweet chutney with very mild heat from the chilies which also gets balanced by all the sweet ingredients added to it.

More easy chutney recipes

If you are looking for more chutney recipe ideas, don't miss checking the following links:

  1. Sweet Mango Chutney
  2. Green Mango Chutney
  3. Tomato Coriander Chutney
  4. Peanut Chutney
  5. Apple chutney
  6. Apricot chutney

More easy tomato recipes

Looking for more ideas to add tomatoes to your meals? The following easy tomato recipes are worth checking:

  1. Tomato puff pastry tarts
  2. Roasted bell pepper and tomato soup
  3. Cherry tomato pasta
  4. Tomato rice
  5. Vietnamese tomato tofu
sweet tomato khejur chutney in a white bowl with dried red chilies in the background.

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Recipe

Bengali style tomato chutney in a white bowl.

Bengali style tomato chutney

Bengali-style tomato chutney is a sweet and savory chutney full of flavors. Traditionally, it's known as tomato khejur (date) chutney. No Bengali feast is complete without this simple chutney. It's very easy to make and gets ready in just 20 minutes.
4.84 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 1 cup
Calories: 75kcal
Author: Vandana Chauhan

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon panch phoran - Indian five spice blend
  • 4 roughly chopped medium-sized tomatoes around 2 cups
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1-2 whole dried red chilies
  • 2 dates pitted and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon black or golden raisins
  • 1 tablespoon sugar/ powdered jaggery adjust to taste
  • ΒΌ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • Β½ teaspoon red chili powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon mustard oil

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a pan. Add dried red chilies and panch phoran. Saute for a few seconds or until the spices become fragrant.
  • Add turmeric powder and red chili powder. Saute for a few seconds.
  • Add ginger and stir for around 30 seconds before adding tomatoes and salt.
  • Mix everything and cover the pan. Let it cook for 4-5 minutes or until the tomatoes turn soft.
  • Add chopped dates, raisins, and sugar. Mix and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
  • Switch off the stove and allow the chutney to reach room temperature.
  • Enjoy your Bengali style tomato chutney.

Notes

  1. To make panch phoran at home, mix fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, and fennel seeds in equal quantities.
  2. Don't overcook ginger otherwise, it will turn bitter.
  3. To make this chutney spicy, add chili flakes.
  4. Add sugar carefully as we are also adding raisins and dates.
  5. The amount of sugar will also depend upon the sweetness of the tomatoes.
  6. This chutney tastes the best if made in mustard oil but you can use any other neutral-flavored oil too.
  7. If using mustard oil, heat it till it reaches the smoking point and then switch off the stove. Allow the oil to reach a manageable temperature before adding panch phoran and red chilies.
  8. More recipe tips and tricks are given in the post above. Please follow them to make this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 75kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 970IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Tag me on instagram #greenbowl2soul

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sneha

    June 06, 2021 at 12:27 pm

    Hello, I am Sneha. I am 17 years old.. I An a bengali.. also that I don't know much about cooking.. My mother is sick. So I am cooking for my family today. I wanted to cook tomato chutney but didn't know the recipe. While I was looking for the recipe online, I found your page. And trust not only I got the recipe but a smile too after reading your story...Thank you.

    Reply
    • Vandana Chauhan

      June 06, 2021 at 3:59 pm

      Hi Sneha, thank you so much for sharing such a sweet comment. Reading it really made my day. I wish your mother gets well soon πŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. shampa mum (pronounced Shompa :)

    April 28, 2021 at 4:07 am

    5 stars
    Excellent Bangali chutney Vandana...I am a Bengali living in the US. I cook Bangali food almost each day.
    This is very good recipe you gave us, I use amsat also (Sun dried sweet mango) We have such abundance of mangoes in the month of July/Aug that we end up making amsat πŸ™‚
    But in the US we do not have the luxury to do that.
    Amazon has it though.
    I make bair ka chutney though each year when I am in Kolkata.
    I have lived in all the places you had, 34+ yrs ago that is, married in my teens.
    Very impressed by your life journey. My best friend was a Maliyali so I ate her mum's food and learnt how to cook it as well. She loved our Bangali food πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Vandana Chauhan

      April 28, 2021 at 7:28 am

      Dear Shampa, your message made my morning so beautiful. Thank you so much for your lovely comment. Thanks for reminding me of amsat and bair ki chutney. I tried all this with my best friend. Because of her, I instantly feel connected to Bengalis. Loved knowing about you. Thank you once again for your beautiful comments.

      Reply
  3. Vijay

    December 05, 2020 at 4:20 pm

    Thanks for the recipe. I tried it today and came out well. Great side for the khicchdi.

    Reply
    • Vandana Chauhan

      December 05, 2020 at 8:45 pm

      Thanks a lot Vijay.

      Reply
  4. Yasmeen Hafiz

    February 29, 2020 at 3:51 pm

    IWanted to know the recipe of bair chutney of Bengali style

    Reply
    • Vandana Chauhan

      March 03, 2020 at 3:08 pm

      Hi Yasmeen. Thanks for letting me know, I will share it soon.

      Reply

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Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog. My name is Vandana Chauhan and I am on a mission to explore vegan/ vegetarian recipes from around the world. I am delighted to welcome you to join me on this exciting journey.

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